Hero Goalie Tim Howard: No I’m Not Lord And Savior, Jesus Is

A lot has been done and said about USA’s Tim Howard recently. A lot of it is pretty hilarious actually. Check Wikipedia out, and you might find him as the US’s new leader of the DOD.

All jokes aside, Tim is not an average player. He has shown record-setting abilities on the field like his teammate Clint Dempsey, with his most recent performance against the Belgium team. He may be an amazing player, but he’s an even better person–a person willing to open up about his Christian faith. According to CDN:

“Howard is from North Brunswick, New Jersey, and the son of a African-American father and a Hungarian mother. He has a deep faith saying in a 2006 interview with Campus Crusade for Christ, ‘The most important thing in my life is Christ. He’s more important to me than winning or losing or whether I’m playing or not. Everything else is just a bonus.'”

Howard also copes with Tourette’s Syndrome. At the age of nine, he started to experience facial tics and compulsive behaviors. His mom is the one who suggested he play soccer as a way to manage the condition.

“Howard has explained that when the ball is down the field, he lets his twitches go and does not suppress them. However, when an attack is being set up – which happened over and again on Tuesday – his muscles miraculously calm. ‘I have no idea how I do it,’ he said. ‘Not even my doctors can explain it to me.'”

Howard, while dealing with his afflictions, credits God for his strength and giving him the hope he needs to overcome his weaknesses:

Living with Tourette’s is not easy. But God has blessed me with the gift of athleticism as well. He has done some powerful things in my life through the combination of these two gifts. He also has shown me ways to use my position as a professional athlete to encourage others with Tourette’s Syndrome.”

At 35 years of age, Howard may or may not be done playing soccer. For USA’s sake, lets hope not. Regardless if he plays or not, he plans to continue to use his inspiring testimony to help others.